Former President Barack Obama, shown here speaking at the North American Climate Summit in December, will campaign for Democratic candidates in Southern California House races this weekend. (Scott Olson/Getty Images file photo)

Former President Barack Obama will make his first stop on the 2018 campaign trail in Southern California on Saturday, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee announced.

Obama will campaign with candidates Josh Harder in the 10th District, T.J. Cox in the 21st District, Katie Hill in the 25th District, Gil Cisneros in the 39th District, Katie Porter in the 45th District, Harley Rouda in the 48th District, and Mike Levin in the 49th.

Harley Rouda is one of two Democratic challengers to GOP Rep. Dana Rohrabacher that the NewDemPAC is adding to its candidate watch list. (Thomas McKinless/CQ Roll Call File Photo).

The political arm of the moderate New Democrat Coalition is adding 12 House challengers to its list of candidates to watch in 2018.

NewDemPAC’s recognition comes with a $1,000 contribution this quarter and guidance about messaging and strategy. The watch list is a way for the group to get involved in races earlier than it previously has. Last cycle, the PAC contributed about $1 million to federal candidates and it expects to give out at least that much this cycle.

Former congressional candidate Michael Eggman is starting a new group to achieve what he could not do alone: flip House seats in California from Republican to Democrat.

Eggman is launching the “Red to Blue California” political action committee Monday, targeting seven House Republicans who represent districts in the Golden State that Democrat Hillary Clinton carried in 2016.

Democrat Katie Porter, right, has already been endorsed by Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren in her bid for California’s 45th District seat. (Courtesy Katie Porter for Congress)

Updated 9:11 a.m.| In its first endorsement of a House challenger in the 2018 cycle, EMILY’s List is backing Katie Porter, a law professor challenging California Republican Rep. Mimi Walters. The early endorsement signals that the abortion rights group will be aggressively targeting House Republicans in the midterm elections.

“EMILY’s List is thrilled to endorse Katie Porter in this critical race to take back the House of Representatives,” Stephanie Schriock, the president of EMILY’s List, said in a statement. “We need leaders on Capitol Hill who aren’t afraid to stand up to [Donald] Trump associates, big banks, and entrenched special interests who wield tremendous power over the White House, the Trump family, and a Republican-controlled Congress.”

UC Irvine law professor Dave Min, left, is running to unseat Republican Rep. Mimi Walters in California’s 45th District, while Robert Lee Ahn is in a runoff for California’s open 34th District seat. (Photos courtesy Dave Min for Congress, Robert Lee Ahn for Congress)

Two candidates running for Congress in California are entering what one calls a “final frontier” for Korean-Americans.

The only Korean-American elected to Congress was Jay Kim, a California Republican who served three terms from 1993 to 1999.